Stories about lollywood

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Subtle comedy has never been Pakistani cinema’s forte; there are only a handful of writers who have successfully managed to pull off the art of subtle slapstick. Last year’s release of Karachi Se Lahore received mixed response from the audience. Some couldn’t stop laughing and loved it, while some thought it was needlessly dragged with dry humour. Whatever the response, most thought it was one of a kind; a Pakistani rom-com featuring a road trip through Pakistan – definitely not something the local audience has ever seen before.
Director Wajahat Rauf was content with the response he got and hence decided to make a sequel, ...

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Pakistani cinema is going through a phase, especially after banning Indian movies in the country. Two things are in dire need; firstly, the release of a movie at least every week, and secondly, every movie released should have an entertainment quotient attached to it.
Recently, Hashim Nadeem’s Abdullah: The Final Witness was released in the cinema houses of Pakistan. The movie features Sajid Hassan, Hameed Sheikh, Imran Abbas, and Sadia Khan in pivotal roles. Now let’s see what it has to offer to its viewers.
The movie features Sajid Hassan, Hameed Sheikh, Imran Abbas, and Sadia Khan in pivotal roles.Photo; Screenshot
The story revolves around Abdullah (Hameed Sheikh), a ...

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Art is art. Art does not know a nationality or a region or a religion. Does a German heart move more than a non-German heart while listening to Beethoven’s symphonies?
What if nobody outside France ever saw the Mona Lisa, or the Starry night was only seen by Dutch eyes?
Art and artists belong to the world. Art is a reflection of the human condition, feelings shared by all of us universally. We all feel love, we all feel sadness, and we all feel loss.
The world was moved by the picture of a dead Syrian toddler washed up on a Turkish shore. Statuses mourning the loss ...

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To ask a Pakistani actor to go back to his country when there has allegedly been a terrorist attack on Indian soil by Pakistanis, is both stupid and understandable. The citizens ask for quick retaliation and, as always, people in the world of arts, culture and film are the softest targets.
The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), sensing the public pulse, cashed in on the anger and gave Pakistani actors and artists a 48-hour ultimatum to leave India. And mind you, a lot of Indians are irate with the presence of the Pakistani artists in India. That does not make them right or ...

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Dear Soumyadipta Banerjee,
I don’t know if it’s the right thing to be writing you a letter, since you might be endorsing a cut-off of all sorts (of written collaborations between our countries) after so emphatically bashing the cultural ones.
It might not even be the best time for you since I see your fellows are caught up in a frenzy of misjudging the Pakistani markings regarding the ammunition used in the Uri attacks. But I write to you because it’s necessary. You might not have singled out Fawad Khan in your letter but I evidently am addressing this to only you, ...

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I still remember when I was first introduced to The Mindy Project by a friend while sitting in her apartment in DC back in 2014. We started binge-watching it for a few nights after dinner during my brief stay with her.
When I returned to my internship in Vancouver, I heard one of my colleagues (an Indian-Canadian woman) raving about it. Mindy Kaling is undoubtedly a talented lady and the show has been quite popular – on a separate note, there was something about it that made all the brown girls go crazy. They finally got to see a brown woman in ...

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Steering away from the melodramatic genre of our drama industry – which continually encircles around the ‘bechari aurat’ (oppressed woman) – projects like Ek Thi Marium attempt to bring about a much needed change showcasing the true meaning of the commonly misused term: woman empowerment.
The project is a biopic of the first Pakistani woman fighter pilot, Marium Mukhtar, who was martyred whilst in the line of duty. The gripping narrative, crisp direction, and deep dialogues have made this telefilm both moving and inspirational; two qualities which our monotonous sagas continually lack.
Pakistani woman fighter pilot, Marium MukhtarPhoto: Reuters
Ek thi Marium narrates the story ...

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The Macmillan Dictionary defines a romantic-comedy as,
“A funny movie, play or television program about a love story that ends happily.”
Janaan is just that, but it’s not funny in the ordinary sense of the word.
The film, directed by Azfar Jafri and co-produced by Reham Khan, is a latter-day ode to Pakhtun identity and heritage. It is a story about Meena, played by Armeena Khan, who returns from Canada to attend her cousin’s wedding in Swat, but falls in love with her adopted cousin.
On paper, it sounds appreciable to the Pakistani viewer, and for the most part, the outcome on the screen is adequately gratifying. The stunning introductory shots ...

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Making it as an independent filmmaker in Pakistan is not easy. Having a film industry that consistently puts dance numbers, good-looking actors and fancy costumes over character, story and plot is bad enough. But the fact that studios here are not ready to invest and original ideas only makes it worse.
But that hasn’t stopped aspiring filmmaker and playwright Hamza Bangash from bringing his ideas to life and overcoming a number of barriers that can come in the way of any aspiring filmmaker. In 2014, his short film Badal premiered at the Cannes Film Festival’s Court Metrage, which is an incredible achievement in itself. And now, two ...

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Jawad Bashir has a unique way of incorporating humour into his songs and acts, case in point: Teen Bata Teen from the mid-90s. It took Bashir quite a few years to embark on the route of film production. He made his debut with the horror flick, Maya (2015) and his latest venture is supposed to be an out and out comedy filled with an element of romance.
That being said, Teri Meri Love Story is a rom-com featuring Mohib Mirza, Omar Shahzad, Ushna Shah, Uzma Khan, Mohsin Abbas Haider, Salman Shahid, Laila Zuberi and Ahmed Abdul Rehman in pivotal roles.
Photo: Farah Fashion
The movie starts off with Esha (Ushna Shah), who is head ...